Emmrich Volkarin - Official Companion Thread [Spoilers]

I note that the Slayer specialism specifically references two handed weapons, so presumably it is going to be possible to build their skills to maximise the benefits of two handed combat, whereas Champion, as always, is more connected with sword and shield. Meanwhile, Reaper is the wild card because until we know what Night Blades are we won't know which combat style it favours. However, considering it refers to "Blades", perhaps Reaper is going to feature a return of the dual wielding warrior that we haven't seen since DAO.

From the SDCC VA Panel: felassan.tumblr.com/post/758277879334420480/transcript-of-part-of-the-datv-meet-the

John: I mean honestly, I will say like, we expected a great reaction to Emmrich. Went beyond what we expected for sure. But it’s been fascinating to see, because again, Emmrich is this character, he’s more of the professorial, more, he brings a wisdom and kind of a calmness to the group, so even when things are at their worst, there’s that one person in the group who’s kind’ve like, ‘okay, you know, we’ve got, let’s figure it out, slow, take a deep breath’. And just his journey through his character arc and his interaction with the others, it’s been fantastic to see. Even just finding opportunities for him to bounce off the other characters, you know, the way he talks to Bellara, the way he talks to Neve, it’s all so different, but it’s all so just, again, based around this core of this warm, kind-hearted, professorial necromancer, which again is not something that you see a lot of in media, usually necromancers are depicted a very specific way. But it’s been, just awesome to see how Emmrich has grown and just, really one of the most, one of my favorite experiences has been just working with Emmrich’s writer and working with Emmrich as a character.

Nick: I think I’ve been preparing for Emmrich all my life. I was very attracted to the role initially. And I was so, I was overjoyed when I got it because I think it was, the writing of Emmrich is really fascinating. It’s this, this man that is obsessed with death, on one hand, but on death as a comfort, death as a transition, death as something that is not scary, and that ability to enable people to transition, and the investment that he gives in that sphere, which we don’t give in our own lives. I was immediately attracted to that and I thought that that was – I’d never seen that before, and so to go in these two ways, to talk about death and to talk about it in a way that is kind and that the transition becomes a kind transition, that was fascinating to me, and I think, will be fascinating to you too, yeah.

Ashley: Yeah, Sylvia the lead writer basically was like, ‘Ash, you’re gonna need a dictionary for all of the sessions with Emmrich’, it’s like, 'Okay!’. And we get there, you just nailed them all, like 'shduhfejdkjjdhdjdhfjehfjkhehe into the Fade’.

Nick: Well, I don’t know if I nailed them all, that’s very kind of you. But, there was some serious tongue-twisters there, and, but it’s great, it’s great to be in the booth, and to be given a challenge like that, and. Yeah, it’s fantastic, I mean that’s what I love to do, so it was great to be just gifted that.

Nick: I mean it’s so interesting that this character has kind of caught fire a little because, when I did it I thought ‘okay, well everyone else is like so sexy and like, it’s just amazing, and I’ll just be this kind of professorial kinda guy chatting in the background, having fun, you know, dealing with death, and you know, on the side’, and suddenly it became this thing of like, no, this is actually really interesting. And I think people have found it interesting, and I love that! I love that you guys have also found it as interesting as I have as because, it’s, it’s a fantastic character, he’s a fantastic character, honestly.

It might be that like Audric the spirit thought it was the dead person but it might be more like Justice in awakening. He didn't think he was Kristof but he had Kristof's memories and it was important to him to make things right with Kristof's wife. This was because he felt he had done her an injustice of course, but perhaps the spirit in that skull could remember the man wanted to be buried with his wife and was driven by whatever it's purpose is to fulfil that wish?

I think he could see Kristof's memories before you gave him stuff. He can remember that Kristof is a grey Warden after you defeat the Baroness.

I think the remains retain memories from people they belonged to, hunted up this banter I heard recently on my playthrough:

Justice: This... thing you spoke of. Switching bodies.
Nathaniel: Not a favorite topic of yours, I take it?
Justice: Would such a thing be permitted? Would it not be considered... abominable?
Nathaniel: If they're dead, it's not as if they need the body, Justice.
Justice: But I can still feel the man who once lived. I know his life, his... It is not just a body.
Nathaniel: That's...good, isn't it? I'd rather you felt that way.
Justice: Perhaps you are right.

I had thought he just thought he was a dead person, like Cole, but in a corpse and with a competing dual anger/curiosity nature, but you made me curious so I went back and checked, turns out... Nobody knows!



Lol

Nobody seems sure what he is, even Audric himself, save for the pride demon inside Karn "A sad, sad thing, a spirit clinging to the dying curiosity of a man with a mania for baubles" but I wouldn't consider him a reliable source. Even if he knew the answer he'd possibly just have said whatever would mess with Audric's head the most anyways.


While looking through thoughi did find this


Which is what the pride demon in Karn is doing by trying to finish his duel with the duke.

So the skull wanting to be buried with the wife must be something similar.

I've noticed a lot of people on You Tube are referring to him as "Bone Daddy". Is that really his nickname now outside these boards?

Also been wondering about the latest trailer:

Do you think Death Callers/Necromancers like Rook or Emmrich could perform a spell similar to 'Speak with Dead' from Baldur's Gate 3? Speak with a recently dead/undamaged corpse to answer questions. Or maybe interrogate spirits who witnessed the death of important/significant people to gather information?
This reminds me of that time Yavanna, Morrigan's sister, from the Silent Grove comics apparently summoned the spirit of the recently killed Prince Claudio Valisti to interrogate him/it.
Could we as a member of the Mourn Watch/Mortalitasi do something similar?

I was thinking this might be his specific action (I don't remember what they called them in the Game Informer article but Bellara had one specific to artifacts? and iirc they mentioned companions having unique actions to interact with things) or at least I'm hopeful. Would be fun.

It is highly likely Emmrich could do this.  I was re-reading Murder by Death Mages from Tevinter Nights yesterday.   It featured Sidony from DAMP rather than Emmrich but she was trained by a Mortalitasi and during her investigation of his death, at the scene of another murder, she was encouraged to consult with the spirit that may have been observing the death in order to gain information, which apparently is something that Mortalitasi generally are capable of. Also, DG wrote a short story about Dorian speaking with his father after his death.   Dorian was simply a necromancer, although likely trained by a Mortalitasi in his specialism, but it does seem that an experience Mortalitasi, which is what Emmrich is, would have no trouble doing this.   Also, since they say that Rook can sometimes gain the use of the more unique abilities of their companions (how exactly we have yet to discover), perhaps even a mage Rook generally could do so.   Certainly, a Death Caller would likely possess certain skills in common with Emmrich, including perhaps the ability to speak with the dead.

Yeah... I'm mostly indifferent to it, to be totally honest... it's not like they'd be voiced absolutely the same, anyways, and the clothes aren't a 100% match... nor is Fairbanks like a favorite character of mine, or anything. I thought it was a bit of a stretch. But who knows, it's DA, right? Just wondering if there could be more to it, and if there were others on board with this theory. But I didn't know Absolution was self-contained like you described. Interesting, ty!